By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. They can be testaments to brilliant, visionary thinking, or they can be ideas that never panned out. They can be magnificent beasts that ruled the day, or they can be evil handling failures that slunk away into motorsports history. But many of the machines that have been raced over the decades brought something significant to the sport, and even more important, etched into our memories a time and a place that will never be forgotten. Anyone who has grown up in and around the sport has developed a list of favorite racing cars from the time they were kids. It usually started along the way with favorite model building kits or slot car sets, but we all developed our favorites, which we've all added to over the years. I am no exception. As a matter of fact, my list is extensive and at times convoluted. But by no means is it meant to be some sort of be-all and end-all. They're just significant to me. 
(IMS)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 31, 1960. Jim Rathmann and crew with the No. 4 Ken-Paul Watson/Offy at the winner's photo shoot the morning after the Indianapolis 500. Rathmann and Rodger Ward (No. 1 Leader Card Watson/Offy) engaged in a torrid duel over the second half of the race, with Rathmann finally taking the lead for good on lap 197 as Ward was forced to slow due to a worn-out tire. The 1960 race saw a then-record 29 lead changes, a record that stood until 2012. Paul Goldsmith (No. 99 Demler Special Epperly/Offy) finished third.
(Jaguar)
Le Mans, France, June 29, 1956. After a late-race pit stop, Ron Flockhart leaps into the winning No. 4 Ecurie Ecosse D-Type Jaguar that he shared with Ninian Sanderson to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The duo covered 300 laps. Stirling Moss/Peter Collins (No. 8 Aston Martin DB3S) finished second, and Olivier Gendebien/Maurice Trintignant (No. 12 Scuderia Ferrari 625LM) third.
Jackie Stewart and Ken Tyrrell next to the Tyrell 001/Ford at its press introduction in 1970. Tyrrell hired Derek Garner to design the car in secret, because Gardner was still employed at Ferguson (of four-wheel drive Matra fame). The Tyrrell 001 proved to be quick but unreliable in its debut season, but subsequent developments of the car helped Stewart win the World Championship in 1971.
A bird's-eye view of the No. 98 J.C. Agajanian Hurst Lotus/Ford in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 1965. Parnelli Jones drove the machine to a second place finish in the Indy 500 behind Jim Clark (No. 82 Team Lotus/Ford). Mario Andretti (No. 12 Dean Van Lines Hawk/Ford) finished third.
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City, Mexico, October 23, 1966. Bruce McLaren (No. 17 Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren M2B/DOHC Ford) qualified an uncharacteristic fifteenth for the Grand Prix of Mexico and didn't finish the race due to a blown engine. McLaren struggled mightily to make the DOHC Ford Indianapolis engine competitive in F1, to no avail. He ditched the engine after the 1966 season.
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 21, 1983. The No. 06 Zakspeed Roush Ford Mustang GTP driven by Klaus Ludwig and Tim Coconis on its way to the win in the Pabst 500 at Road America. The Mustang GTP was designed by Bob Riley, who chose a radical front/mid-engine configuration. Roush Performance, Protofab (Gary Pratt of Pratt & Miller fame) and the Ford Aerospace Western Labs division contributed to the build. The Mustang GTP consisted of carbon fiber panels bonded to a carbon fiber/Nomex composite monocoque chassis reinforced by Kevlar in key structural areas. The bodywork was designed for maximum downforce, but the unconventional design had a very conventional suspension system consisting of double wishbones with Koni coil-over springs and adjustable stabilizer bars at both ends of the machine. It weighed-in at 1,770 lbs. The Mustang GTP was to be powered by a turbocharged 2.1-liter Ford Cosworth BDA engine delivering over 600HP, coupled to a Hewland 5-speed gearbox. But by the time the cars were finally ready to race, the 2.1-liter motor wasn't ready, so they ran a 1.7-liter version of the engine instead. The Road America victory was the only win for the Mustang GTP. Roush pulled out after the 1983 season, furious with Ford because he wanted to replace the turbo 4-cylinder in favor of going with V8 power. By the way, Don Devendorf/Tony Adamowicz (No. 83 Electromotive Racing Nissan 280ZX Turbo) finished second at Road America, with the No. 6 Mustang GTP driven by Bobby Rahal/Geoff Brabham finishing third. The rest of the Mustang GTP's competition history was a series of failures, futility and DNFs, and the program was canceled at the end of the 1984 season. Michael Kranefuss, the director of Ford Racing at the time, said, "it was the worst project I've ever been involved in."